Does Alcohol Consumption Protect Against Late Dental Implant Failures?

Abstract

<h3>Purpose</h3> Social factors have been implicated in the development of various peri-implant pathologies, including implant failure. This study aims to investigate whether varying levels of alcohol consumption affects late dental implant failures. <h3>Methods</h3> A retrospective cohort study was performed to evaluate implants placed between 2006 and 2012 at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The primary predictor variable was alcohol consumption, measured as nonconsumption or mild, moderate, and heavy consumption. The primary outcome variable was late dental implant failure. Other study variables included age, sex, and the type of implant restoration used. Appropriate univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics were applied, with <i>P</i> < .05 used to define statistical significance. <h3>Results</h3> Our retrospective cohort consisted of 103 unique patients and 295 implants with a 5-year minimum follow-up period. Most patients were male (93%) with an average age of 60 at the time of implant placement. Late dental implant failure was associated with 30 implants (10%). Compared to nonconsumption, mild alcohol consumption was associated with a 75% decrease in late implant failure (<i>P</i> = .0494), moderate consumption was associated with a 60% decrease in late implant failure (<i>P</i> = .3826), and heavy consumption was associated with a 200% increase in late implant failure (<i>P</i> < .1782). Compared to mild alcohol consumption, heavy consumption was associated with an 847% increase in late implant failure (<i>P</i> = .0135). <h3>Conclusion</h3> The results from this retrospective cohort analysis suggest mild alcohol consumption is associated with a decrease in late dental implant failures, and heavy consumption is associated with an increase in late dental implant failures.